Warm feet suggestions? socks? insoles?
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hey guys i climb alot it the Adirondacks and just last weekend i discovered that my setup isn't quite as war as i had hoped. I rock a pair of la sportiva baturas and i was loosing feeling in all my toes. i think i may be slightly more susceptible to cold temps with not so great circulation but im looking for suggestions on keeping my feet war whether it be new sox, boot covers, insoles whatever. Also what sock would you suggest? |
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are your feet cold as you climb or at belay staions? check out some down booties. i use them for multi pitch when im waiting for my partner, and they can stash pretty well in a cargo pocket. |
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I find that my feet can get pretty chilly too when ice climbing. The thing that helps me the most is to make sure I keep moving and to keep the rest of my body warm. If I feel that my torso or head is getting cold, usually my feet are not far behind, but if I keep everything at a nice warm temperature, then my feet are fine. Again, back to keeping moving - when you're standing around belaying or whatever, try to keep your legs moving a little bit, just to keep the warm blood moving. |
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Make sure you are using wool socks. Most importantly, be sure your boots are slightly large on your feet. You may have to crank down the laces for climbing, but loosen them whenever you can (such as during the approach). You also don't need the toes very tight. Avoid using multiple socks, as this makes the boot tighter and cuts off circulation. |
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I've been using Baturas for years and while they are a great climbing boot IMO they are not as warm as advertised. That aside, the warmest socks I've found are Dahlgren Expedition socks, alpaca wool. The warmest insole I've found is a 3M Thinsulate insole. But note a problem with the Batura: If the fit of your boots is near snug, putting in a thicker insole and sock could expand your foot volume too much, and unlike a regular laced boot the Batura's zipper limits your ability to loosen the laces and expand the internal volume. I found that out the hard way, and of course a too-tight boot aggravates your problem. |
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Use chemical hot-packs designed for use in boots. There're thin so you can still walk/climb in comfort, have adhesive that sticks them to your socks so they don't slide around, and they work for a good 6-8 hours. So worth the 1 or 2 bucks you spend. |
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Tacking on to the chem pack. A good way to keep those feet toasty is to use generic hand warmers. Tape them to the back of your upper ankle (posterior tibial artery) keeps the new blood flowing into you feet and toes warm. Same trick works with hands tape them to the underside of your wrists (ulnar/radial arteries). |
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I have used my Baturas (2nd gen) multiple times below -28C (-18F) and also on a 2 day trip around -31C (-24F) while ice climbing. |
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Depending on temperatures, I don't think having numb toes is altogether out of the question while ice climbing. I wouldn't say it's a comfort sport. |
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Dr. Ellis D. Funnythoughts wrote:are your feet cold as you climb or at belay staions? check out some down booties. i use them for multi pitch when im waiting for my partner, and they can stash pretty well in a cargo pocket.I'm not familiar with the use of booties during climbs. I can't quite figure out how they would work. Could you tell me more more about your system? Do you have to change out of your boots and crampons at every belay? How do you minimize downtime at the belays? Do they work at hanging or semi-hanging belays? Do you always use them or just use them when you expect the leader to take a really long time? As it is, I try to keep warm with vigorous belay dancing. At my last cold belay, I managed to kick a massive belay ledge into the ice with my crampons. This had the added benefit of making the belay more comfortable, while warming me up. |
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From my experience, I would start with trying to keep warm blood flowing to the toes. Snug but not too tight is the secret, I use just one pair of mountaineering socks in wool - but I bought the boots to fit that system. The next thing is to ensure you are hydrated, keep those small blood vessles flowing with blood not thick syrup - I bring a small stainless flask with hot juce and water with a pinch of salt as well as a litre nalgene. On super cold days I use those handwarmer heat pads you can buy in bulk at Cosco cheap, I put them under the outer and inner tongue on my boots (I have old Nepal Tops) and it works great. Look at your feet and all the big blood vessles run on the top of your feet so by adding a few degrees there you get a lot of gain in the toes. Some people swear by Vapor Barrier socks or overboots |
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I have the worlds coldest feet and i can sympathize sp? with you . |
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spantiks are so nice and warm. |